Article handling machine



'Mrh 1953 E. J. NEWCOMER 2,632,681

, v ARTICLE HANDLING MACHINE Fil dqunzo, 1 949 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR. J. Newcaue'k faaawl' 41PM m 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. J. NEWCOMER ARTICLE HANDLING MACHINE March 24, 1953 Filed June 30, 1949 lllhrlllllpll K March 24, 1953 E. J. NEWCOMER 2,532,581

ARTICLE HANDLING MACHINE Filed June so, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR. Z [vszsrrziflaw/cans:

I TTGRWEYS Patented Mar. 24, 1953 1;

LT STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLEHANDLIN G MACHINE Everett'J. Newcomer, Kew Gardens, N. Y., as sign'or to City Vending Equipment Corp}, Mas;- petli, Y2, a corporation of-New-York Applicaefifll f June- 30, 1949),, SerialzNo; 103,239

1 Claim, (01. 312-41) 'Ijhepresent inventionfrelates broadly to the.

sametype of apparatus as disclosed and claimed in my rior patent Reissue No. 23,103 dated Apr l 26, 1949. I

The a paratus disclosed, and claimed in said prior patent includes a. travelling storage belt, which deposits at one time a single rowof articles onto. a delivery beltwhich is in the sar'ne plane as the storage beltbut moving at, right angles to the storage belt, the delivery beltdispensing one article. or} one package at atime in response to coin actuated and electrically controlled circuits.

The main object. of the present invention involves the storage feed arrangement in a ma-.

chine of this. general type. and particularly the provision of means movable with respect to a stationary article supportingplatform, to deposit a row of articles ontov the deliverybelt. An associated main object of the present invention reinga push bar and means to. sweepthe pusher bar the length of the platform towards, the delivery belt nd thereof.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision, in an apparatus of the character described, of a horizontally arranged perma nently fixed storage. platform. adapted to support a plurality of articles. thereon, and amovable pusher bar resting atop thestorage platform, whereby pressure exerted by the pusher at one end of a number of rows of articles is transmitted from one rowrto another.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision, in a device of the character described, of a pusher bar atop a stationary stora e platform, and endless belt means associated with the pusher, whereby the pusher may be swept along the length of the platform.

Other, further andmore specific objects of the present invention will, in part, bepointed out specifically, and in part be obvious from-the fol lowing description of an illustrative embodiment.

In the drawings annexed hereto andmade a.

in the instant invention, partly broken awayto Y show the motor mounting, clutching mechanism,

etc.

Figure 2 is a side ele'vational view, also partly broken awayand partly in section;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sections on. thelines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-4 respectively, of Figure. 1;

Figur s isiadetail of the clutch mechanism; and

Figure 7 isawiring. circuit diagram.

In the apparatus ofthe present invention, a plurality of articles are disposed atop astationary, horizontally-disposed storage platform, the,v articles being butted against, one another, and arranged in rowsextending across the width. of, the platform. A delivery belt is disposed atone end of. the platform, the beltmoving substantially at right angles to the, platform and in thesame horizontalplane therewith. When the (16? livery belt is free of articles thereon. a single row of articles are deposited onto the delivery belt;

from the storage platform. The delivery belt thereafter will operate to dispense one article at a time One form of article handling apparatus is broadly disclosedand claimed in my prior patent Reissue No. 23,103, dated April 26, 1949, as

are the electrical circuits, and controls. The

present invention isan improvement thereover in the provision of thestationary storage platform-and the shifting of articles therefrom onto thedelivery belt.

As used herein the term article indicates any packaged or unpackaged commodity capable of being dispensed injmachines of this type, the

only limitation being. thatv the articles may be.

flatly butted one against the other so that; pressure at the lastof a number of row of units-will be transmitted evenly to the first row.

The operating parts of the apparatus, aswill be readily understood,.are enclosed within a suitable housing, portions of which are indicated as at 5, 5. Housing 5,.may be insulated fonhandling perishables, as foods and the like, as desired.

A supporting frame is provided, consisting of beams Iii, Ill, I2, 12 secured to suitablebrackets belts 28, 28.

32, to each belt, and also rivet securedati-ts otherend to pusher bar 26, asvat, -34. Pusher ."r'liis:

disposed squarely across platform 2,0 andi operation within the apparatus.

cures, to belts 28, 28 in such manner as to maintain same in said right angled relation to the length of platform 20. Belts 28, 28 are provided with spaced apertures, as indicated at 36, 36, the spacing of these apertures along the belt length being such as to coincide with the spacing teeth 38, 38 on drive pulleys 40, 40 so as to be engaged by said teeth 38, 38 and positively driven thereby. Drive pulleys 40, 40 are fixed on a shaft 42 so as to be rotated simultaneously thereby from motor 44 via pulley 46, drive belt 48 and the pulley 58 fixed on shaft 42. A shaft 52 is provided at the opposite end of the frame, suitably supported therefrom, having driven pulleys 54, 54 mounted thereon in line with drive pulleys 50, 50 driven pulleys 54, 54 also having teeth as 38, 38 about their peripheries for positive engagement by the apertured belts 28, 28.

It will, of course, be understood that means other than endless belts, as chains or straps, may be used instead of endless belts to shift pusher 38 from one end of platform 20 towards the delivery belt end thereof.

With pusher 28 at the far end of the apparatus (the extreme right of Figure l), the articles A, A are deposited on platform 20 in transversely aligned and butting rows. The entire surface area of platform 20 may thus be covered by articles as A, A. On actuation of pusher 26, and the exertion of pressure against the endmost row of articles as A, the row at the front of the platform is pushed onto a relatively narrow delivery belt of size as to receive said row of articles, the belt being indicated at 60. Endless belt 60 is driven by its own motor 62, through shaft 64, drive pulley 85, belt 88 and driven pulley 10, connected by suitable shafting to a drive roller 61, with belt 60 passing aroun a driven roller II at the opposite side of the apparatus.

The upper flight of belt 50 is supported atop a rigid plate 6| suitably secured to frame I2. The lower flight 60a need not be supported except against undue sagging. In response to the controls to be described below, belt 60 delivers a single article from its front end I2 at one time into chute I4. As the article drops into chute 14, it strikes against cut-off switch operating lever finger 76 which extends into chute I4 and depresses one arm thereof into the dotted line position of Figure 2. Finger I6 is pivoted at 18 and ;its other arm TI swings counterweight 80 inwardly against switch actuating arm 82, breaking the :circuit at switch 84, shown in normally closed position in full lines in Figure 7, and stopping all The container dropping through chute 14 comes to rest in a rerceptacle from which it may be removed from the apparatus. A conventional thermal cutout I is included in the circuit, and is normally closed as will readily be understood.

With a row of articles A along the length of delivery belt 60, a signal arm 85 component of a lever is supported thereby in the upwardly angled position shown in Figures 2 and 4. Arm 86 extends the full length of'belt 50, so that even one article A thereon, will serve to keep arm 88 in its upright position, Arm 85 is pivoted at 88, and its other arm 90 extends downwardly and angles inwardly as at 92 and has a cross arm 93 bearing against an arm 94 spring pressed upwardly (see Figure l) normally to maintain contact between contact button 95 and contact 96' of'delivery motorBZ. When all the articles on belt 60 have been dispensed, the then unsupported arm 88 pivots downwardly, swinging arm 92,

elf)

which thereupon drops into the dotted line position of Figure 4, closing the contact between arm 94 and contact 96" of switch 98, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, wherein button 96 is depressed into contact with storage motor contact 9-6", and energizing motor 44 to actuate the pusher bar 26 so as to move another row of articles A onto'delivery belt 60, thereby raising arm 86 and restoring the circuit to normal position shown in full lines to thereby stop motor 44. The movement of rows of articles from platform 20 onto belt 60, and the making and breaking of the circuits via arm 86 to switch 98 will continue intermittently until there are no more articles on either platform 20 or belt 60.

A single flap arm I00 mounted on the frame at the rear end of the platform adjacent delivery belt 60, is adapted to be held upright so long as there are any articles on platform 20 in which position switch button 9'! is closed in circuit with contact 91 as shown in full lines in Figure 7. When all the articles on platform 20 have been shifted onto belt 90, flap I09 drops over, and when flap 88 as well drops over (when the last article on belt 69 has been dispensed), arm I08 is thereby permitted to swing downwardly into the position of Figure 5, whereat cross-arm 93 will bear against arm 95 and depress contact 91 to break the motor circuits from the normal position at switch 99, as shown in full lines, to the dotted line position in Figure '7, wherein button 91 closes the circuit to contact 91", thereby energizing empty condition light signal lamp IIO via wiring I I I, I I3 across connection I I5.

In Figure 4, the dotted line position of arm 92, indicates the closure of the contact with arm 94, when the delivery belt alone is empty. In Figure 5, I have illustrated the situation when, in addition, flap I00 is unsupported by any articles on empty platform 20, in which positions the entire machine is void of articles. The cross arm 93 fixed to the end of arm 92 Will I depress both arms 94 and 95, thereby closing the circuit through contact switch button 91 to contact 91". This energizes empty light II 0 and opens the main line circuit tothe machine, completely de-energizing the unit except for the warning light.

Assuming the storage platform to be fully loaded with rows of articles A, A, the purchaser deposits a coin into a suitably located slot (not shown) which closes the circuit at coin switch II2 via wiring III, connection II9 and wiring I2I to electromagnet II4 of relay H6. When electromagnet H4 is energ'med, its armature H8 is drawn towards and in contact with it against the resistance of spring I20. Switch blades I22 and I24, connected to armature H8 is indicated at I26, and the medium contacts I28 and I38 are brought into contact respectively with blades I22 and I24 in the relay I I6. The closure between blade I22 and contact I28 keeps the electr-omagnet II 4 energized, and with blade I24 closed with contact I30, delivery motor 62 is energized via wiring I23 to deliver a single article into chute I4 until, by action of tripper 15, the circuit is broken at switch 84 and motor 82 de-energized. At the same time, all current is cut off from electromagnet II4, permitting armature I I8 to swing away from magnet H4 in response to the normal biasing of spring I20. Simultaneously, blades I22, I24 would shift away from medium contacts I28, I30 respectively in relay II6, permitting the making of contact between blade I24 and end contact I34, which is normally closed. The machine is thus ready for another cycle of operation in delivering an article to chute I4.

The normal circuit closure between blade I24 and end contact I34 energizes coin block magnet I36 of the coin mechanism (not shown) permitting coins to pass through the machine. When electromagnet H4 is energized, blade I24 and contact I34 are in open circuit condition, de-energizing coin block magnet I36 and releasing its armature to bar the coin chute against the insertion thereinto of additional coins. The same condition prevails when the machine is empty, it being necessary to energize coil I36 before a coin can be accepted by the machine.

When all the articles originally disposed atop platform 20 have been dispensed from the apparatus, as will be indicated by tell-tale signal light H0, and the storage platform is to be reloaded, pusher 26 must first be shifted to its starting position at the extreme right hand side of the apparatus. How this is accomplished is illustrated in Figures 1 and 6.

Motor drive shaft I40 has secured thereto a clutch plate I42, provided with outwardly extending studs I44, I44. Pulley 46 has recesses I46 thereon to engage studs I44, I44 to maintain driving engagement. A laterally slidable collar I48 is provided having an annular groove I56 engaged by an arm I52 of shift rod I54. Rod I54 extends outside beam I0 and is normally urged forwardly by normally expanding coil spring I56 interposed between beam I0 and a plate I58 fixed on rod I54. Thus, when rod I54 is pulled out, against the normal biasing of spring I56, clutch plate I42 is disengaged from collar I48, permitting belts 28, 28 to be shifted freely, thereby permitting the resetting of pusher 26 to starting position. Collar I48 has a toothed interfit with pulley 46 when in the full line position of Fig- 6 ure 6, as indicated at I60, but when the collar is withdrawn, the interfit is broken and the pusher can be reset, either manually or otherwise, as convenient or as desired.

Delivery belt 60 and pusher 36 need not be absolutely normal to the length of platform 20, so long as the Width of delivery belt 60 is sufficient to receive the single row of articles deposited thereon at one time from the storage platform. In practice, I have found that some slight angular displacement does not interfere with the efiicient operation of the mechanism.

I claim:

An article delivery mechanism comprising an endless conveyor belt having a longitudinal horizontal upper run, an article storage platform extending laterally from said conveyor and having an article supporting surface substantially coplanar with the upper horizontal surface of said conveyor belt, said storage platform having a zig-zag vertical transverse cross-section, a movable article pusher element mounted above said platform and extending substantially the width thereof, and means for advancing said pusher element along said platform toward said conveyor belt, said means comprising endless belts positioned below the platform and inwardly of the side edges of said platform.

EVERETT J. NEWCOMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

